Top 10 reasons why the BMI is bogus
Great piece from NPR. You’ll never see the ridiculously over-simplistic BMI used on Heads Up.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439
Please don’t pass the salt
Almost everyone eats way too much salt these days. Luckily this is an easy thing to track in Heads Up, so pay attention to it. Most people find if they lower their sodium intake, in a short amount of time they don’t miss it. Personally I find most processed foods too salty tasting these days, as is normal in people who restrict their sodium intake. Besides the health reasons, excess sodium intake causes bloating, so you’ll look skinnier if you cut the salt.
Here’s a recent study indicating thousands of lives would be saved if people just lowered their sodium intake.
Consuming a little less salt could mean fewer deaths
For every gram of salt that Americans reduce in their diets daily, a quarter of a million fewer new heart disease cases and over 200,000 fewer deaths would occur over a decade, researchers said at the American Heart Association’s 49th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.
Get on the fish oil bandwagon
If you don’t already take a fish oil supplement, get started now. So many studies have shown all kinds of benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. Personally, I take 2 teaspoons of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil per day; it’s citrus flavored and not bad at all–definitely easier than olive oil. Here’s some of the latest research on fish oil:
Columbia research shows novel benefits of fatty acids in arteries
New research from Columbia University Medical Center continues to shed light on the benefits of making fish a staple of any diet.
Eating fish may prevent memory loss and stroke in old age
Eating tuna and other types of fish may help lower the risk of cognitive decline and stroke in healthy older adults, according to a study published in the August 5, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Eat oily fish at least once a week to protect your eyesight in old age
Eating oily fish once a week may reduce age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which is the major cause of blindness and poor vision in adults in western countries and the third cause of global blindness, according to a study published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Bacon Explosion not as bad for you as you think
No doubt you have probably seen the blog post about the Bacon Explosion, and you also probably thought, “holy crap, that has got to be the worst thing in the world to eat.” Well, yeah, it’s pretty bad.
But it’s not as bad as you might think. Of course there are articles all over the web touting this as a 5000 calorie food, but that’s if you ate all 4+ pounds of the thing. The nutritional content of a realistic portion (half a pound) may surprise you. Not only that, but there are many foods at restaurants that are worse than this.
I plugged the ingredients into the Heads Up Eating recipe feature, and created this food: Bacon Explosion
As you can see, it comes out to 878 calories, 60g fat, and 31g carbs for a good-sized half pound portion. That’s pretty bad, but not that bad if you compare it to, for instance,
- Bob Evans Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes
- 1540 calories, 77 g fat (7g trans fat) - Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger
- 1145 calories, 71g fat, 56g carbs - Chili’s Awesome Blossom
- 2710 calories, 166g fat, 191g carbs (okay, that’s if you ate the whole thing, but imagine if you split it between two or three people) - Macaroni Grill Double Macaroni ‘n’ Cheese (on the Kid’s menu, apparently)
- 1210 calories, 62g fat
(This nutritional information is according to the Men’s Health Article, “The 20 Worst Foods in America”).
Of course, I don’t recommend you go out and eat this, (but if you do, log it into Heads Up, it’s already in there, *wink*). However, it illustrates how easy it is to misjudge the nutritional content of food, albeit an extreme example.
User interface upgrades
I’ve upgraded the user interface on the main Daily Journals page for the following actions:
- delete a food or meal
- change the serving size or units of a food
- change the name of a meal
- add a new meal
You’ll notice the whole page doesn’t refresh anymore; it behaves much like an application on your computer now and is much more responsive. This was a pretty big upgrade and I think you’ll really appreciate it once you check it out.
Diet trumps exercise when it comes to weight loss
Okay, you probably knew this, but a new study says that controlling your diet plays the dominant role over exercise when it comes to weight loss. Exercise is awesome, no doubt, but it amazes me that people are willing to spend hundreds of dollars and hours of their time at the gym, but are reluctant to spend 10 minutes a day using a free service like Heads Up to ensure their diet is in order. Why not just take that one extra baby step? Maybe it is because they haven’t tried Heads Up!
Personally, I’ve lifted since high school and did cardio on and off, but never tracked my diet. Once I started tracking my diet, I saw my body change for the better in a way I’d never seen before in only a couple months. It made such an incredible difference, and had a lot to do with inspiring me to create Heads Up.
Heads Up is now completely free!
Yes, it’s true. Heads Up Eating has gone completely free, so everyone now has full access. My experiment with the two-tiered membership model is over. Tell all your friends, family, and coworkers to get on Heads Up!
In other news, I’m done for the semester with grad school, and at this point I’m thinking I’m going to take the next semester off. That means I’ll have way more time to work on Heads Up. Expect new features and continued improvements. I’ve been sneaking in subtle performance and usability improvements over the last couple weeks (AJAX for you web geeks). Expect more of this, as well as some more major features coming soon. Keep the letters coming, I’m definitely listening for suggestions.
Thanks for the support everyone!
Another reason to eat protein for breakfast
Besides the positive effects on blood sugar and hormone levels, new research says that eating high quality protein such as eggs and Canadian bacon for breakfast helps you feel fuller throughout the rest of the day.
New study reveals higher protein breakfast may help dieters stay on track from PhysOrg.com
A new study published online today in the British Journal of Nutrition found that timing of dietary protein intake affects feelings of fullness throughout the day. The study concluded that when people ate high-quality protein foods, from sources such as eggs and lean Canadian bacon, for breakfast they had a greater sense of sustained fullness throughout the day compared to when more protein was eaten at lunch or dinner
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The effects of calorie-restricted diets on aging
I’ve been seeing a slew of research lately on the effects of calorie cutting and aging. It has been observed for some time that calorie restriction tends to slow aging, and scientists are trying to find out more about the mechanisms involved and other possible effects on the body. Though everyone has different goals in using Heads Up and I don’t promote or dissuade calorie restriction (Heads Up is a tool, not a prescribed diet plan)–this research may be interesting to certain users.
Cutting calories could limit muscle wasting in later years from PhysOrg.com
Chemical concoctions can smooth over wrinkles and hide those pesky grays, but what about the signs of aging that aren’t so easy to fix, such as losing muscle mass? Cutting calories early could help, say University of Florida researchers who studied the phenomenon in rats.
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Calorie restriction does not appear to induce bone loss in overweight adults from PhysOrg.com
Young adults who follow a diet that is low in calories but nutritionally sound for six months appear to lose weight and fat without significant bone loss, according to a report in the September 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Longevity, cancer and diet connected: New research in worms could apply to humans from PhysOrg.com
Researchers have discovered a connection between genes that could hold the key to a longer, healthier life.
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Food details now shows macro chart and meal information
When you view the Food Details screen, you will now see a pie chart showing the macronutrient information for that food. Also, when you’re about to add a food to a meal, or when you view a food already added to a meal, Heads Up now shows you the macronutrient information for the corresponding meal. This gives you a nice preview of what your meal will contain before you add the food, as well as helps you adjust serving sizes.
Food Details page shows new chart and meal information